


Lighter Days

by threefourtango



Series: Bird With A Broken Wing [3]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:14:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28015302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threefourtango/pseuds/threefourtango
Summary: Amanda Holliday's approach to helping the Guardians unwind during the Dawning isn't going down well with Shaxx. Unfortunately, much to his chagrin, he's the only one.Written for The Dawning of 2020.
Relationships: Female Guardian/Shaxx (Destiny)
Series: Bird With A Broken Wing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1119465
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Dawning!
> 
> The second chapter gets a bit...spicy, shall we say, but I don't think it's enough to bump the rating higher. Enjoy!

_"You are the trembling of time, that passes_   
_between vertical light and darkened sky,”_

\- Pablo Neruda

* * *

The shouting was audible from the doorway to the Guardian quarters.

She immediately had her suspicions, but by the time Magpie met Cayde at the top of the stairs she was in no doubt as to who was responsible. She looked wearily at the Hunter Vanguard.

"Good luck," he grinned, sauntering off towards the hangar. Magpie grimaced.

Predictably, when she reached the Hall of Guardians, she was greeted by the sight of Lord Shaxx prowling around his desk, a piece of paper crumpled in one enormous fist.

“...hopeless. Completely hopeless. What hope is there for the City if this is what we're left with?” He snarled to nobody in particular. A group of Warlocks in mismatched armour scuttled past nervously.

“Shaxx,” Magpie said mildly. “You're frightening the new recruits."

“And may well they be frightened,” Shaxx barked, rounding on her. “Have you seen what's happening?”

Nonplussed, she looked around the hall. Things were quiet, with only a handful of Guardians waiting to speak with the Vanguard. Someone had strung paper garlands in blue and silver haphazardly around the doorways, but as The Dawning was an annual event she doubted Shaxx endured it with anything more than same smouldering resignation he did with most of the City festivals.

“Sparrow racing,” He announced when she didn’t answer, disdain dripping from the words.

“ _Sparrow_ racing?” Magpie said, interest piqued. “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she added; Shaxx’s helmet obscured his face but she could practically see his incredulous expression. “It sounds fun.”

“And will we have _fun_ when the forces of Darkness rise up against us once more? When the Traveler itself becomes an instrument of destruction? What then?"

Magpie thought a good battle _was_ probably Shaxx's idea of fun, but she kept that to herself.

His attitude towards recreation had also been quite different the previous evening, as she’d wound himself around him in the shadows of the Hall after hours, but she decided to keep that to herself too.

“Shaxx, you can’t fight if your spirit is constantly being battered,” she pointed out instead. “Seeing death and awful things over and over again...it makes your soul hurt. I think it sounds like a good way to keep everyone motivated.”

Shaxx looked at her as though she’d told him Zavala was defecting to join the Cabal.

“The Crucible does a sufficient job of keeping Guardians motivated,” he said, as though she were a very small child. “Competition, Nightcrawler! Glory! Valour! What greater motivation is there?”

“Fun?” Magpie suggested. “Besides, 'racing' implies competition. It’ll just be faster, and with less shooting.”

Shaxx shuddered slightly, as though 'less shooting' was a concept too dreadful to entertain.

“You’ve been spending too much time in the Tower bar,” he grunted, slamming the button to engage another Crucible match. Magpie fought to keep the grin from her face; she was familiar with most of Shaxx’s moods by now, and she could tell the difference between genuine anger and the belligerent gloom when she presented a point he could not refute.

“You won’t be too disappointed if I go?” She said innocently.

“I don’t see why you’d be interested in something as unproductive, but you’re not a child from the City kindergarten. You can do as you please.”

“Just checking.” Magpie grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t forget about the Crucible. I’ll see you later.”

Shaxx caught her wrist as she turned to leave.

“Be safe,” he said.

“I will.”

If he hadn’t had his helmet on, she thought as she walked up the stairs, she'd have kissed him until he cheered up.

* * *

The moment Magpie materialised in the Cosmodrome, Nav grabbed her by the arm and yanked her over to where he and Braco were standing.

"Follow my lead," he muttered. Magpie rolled her eyes and grinned at Braco, but the Titan wasn't paying attention. His gaze was focused on the start line, a hard determination in his eyes that Magpie couldn't recall seeing before.

“Nice of you to join us, kid!” Amanda Holliday chirped behind them. “Ready to race?”

Magpie took a deep breath and felt the chill of the air run deep into her lungs. A smile tugged at her mouth. This was her favourite time of year. The Wilds during the cold season were harsh and unforgiving, and penalised a risky fire or a stretch too long in the snow, but there was something magical about the way she could feel the cold air creeping through her insides bit by bit.

It was almost a wrench to put her helmet on.

“How does this work?” She asked.

“Easy. We’ve marked out a circuit. Three laps, first Guardian to cross the finish line wins. No guns, but you can play as dirty as you like.” The shipwright shot them all a mischievous grin.

“That’s it?” One of the Titans behind Braco asked, sounding sceptical.

“Not quite,” Amanda grinned. “We did our best to isolate the circuits before we started running the races, but the Fallen...well, you know how tenacious they are.”

“So watch out for the Dregs?” Magpie asked drily.

“Hey, you’ve slain a king, haven’t you? Few stray Dregs shouldn’t be a problem,” Amanda said breezily. “Any more questions?”

Nobody answered.

“In that case, please take your places!”

Nav immediately took off at a run, elbowing Guardians out of the way.

"I might have guessed this would be his sort of thing," Magpie said to Braco as they trotted after him.

"Fast and dangerous? I'm not sure what gave it away," he replied. She grinned.

Skidding to a halt just as his Ghost materialised his Sparrow, Nav grabbed Magpie and Braco by the arms and hauled them to stand next to him.

“I was scouting while Amanda was talking to us," he muttered. "This is definitely the clearest route to the first corner.”

“Aren’t you taking this a little seriously?” She whispered back as her own Sparrow appeared beside her. “I thought this was meant to be fun.”

“What’s more fun than winning?” Nav smirked.

"Remind me to bring you next time I'm discussing recreation with Shaxx."

"Listen, the less I hear about your recreation with Shaxx -"

“Ready Guardians?” Amanda’s voice interrupted crisply on the comms. Magpie threw her leg over the Sparrow and kicked it into action. It hummed with energy and she redoubled her grip on the handlebars. Adrenalin thrummed in her ears.

“Three...two...one...race!”

Her last word was enveloped in a roar as six Sparrows shot forward in unison. Magpie immediately understood what Nav had meant; the three riders to her left surged towards the widest part of the road and promptly collided with one another. She rounded the first corner just behind the Hunter, with Braco on her tail.

Amanda hadn't been exaggerating: three Vandals were peering suspiciously up and down the track just around the bend. Their squawk of surprise was audible over the noise of her Sparrow, and she hauled it hard to the right to avoid their gunfire. Nav hadn’t been so discerning and had simply ploughed through the Vandal nearest him, sending it flying through the air. She ducked hastily, spinning even further off course. Braco sailed past her with sparks trailing in her wake.

Before the rest of the competitors could catch up she hopped back onto her Sparrow and took off, ducking under some low hanging branches.

The course twisted and turned through the wilderness. Amanda had somehow managed to carve out steep slopes and trenches in the road; Magpie misjudged one corner and skidded into a deep puddle that she was sure qualified as a pond. The wind was biting cold, even through her armour, and she flexed her hand slightly on her Sparrow to try and keep the feeling in her fingers.

The soft whirr of engines behind her had faded away - probably related to the loud explosions she’d heard - and she was chasing down Nav and Braco, who were vying for the lead. Nav had a flashy approach, aiming directly for every makeshift ramp and clearing several metres of track in one go, but there was a dogged determination to Braco’s driving. Magpie grinned as she watched him scooting close to the Hunter’s vehicle every time he attempted a landing and eating up seconds when he misjudged. 

By the third lap Nav and Braco were neck and neck; Magpie, as the least experienced of the three, was struggling to gain ground on them. She watched the two of them vie for position with smoke pouring from both Sparrows jostling as they avoided the increasingly irate Fallen. What would happen if the two of them crossed the line at the same time? Did Amanda have technology to determine the winner?

Approaching the final ramp, Nav managed to kick a burst of speed out of his ailing Sparrow. Braco followed him before suddenly slowing as he approached the edge, skidding back onto the ground at a sideways angle.

Magpie realised with some alarm what he was about to do.

The shadow of Nav’s approaching Sparrow lined up with Braco’s as the Hunter furiously tried to manoeuvre in mid air to avoid a collision. He hit the ground side on, narrowly missing Braco, and skidded into a tree. Magpie winced as the resulting explosion forced her into a deep spin; gritting her teeth, she leaned into it until she regained control and kicked the Sparrow back into action, rounding the final bend and clattering across the finish line in second place.

“Congratulations, Titan!” Amanda yelled cheerfully from the top of the bank. “Magpie second and - “ Nav whooshed past them. “Your Hunter colleague third.” 

Nav, having performed a graceful about turn, soared back to them, hopped off his Sparrow and thumped a flushed Braco delightedly on the back.

“Where did you learn to drive like _that?”_ He yelled delightedly.

“I’ve been helping Amanda road-test Sparrows,” Braco said, clutching his helmet and looking so proud he might burst. “It gave me the chance to practise.”

Nav hooted and seized the Titan in a headlock. “That was incredible. I’ll get you next time, you bandit.”

“I bet you won’t,” Magpie said with a grin. “I was behind you both the whole time, you dance around on that Sparrow like you’re going to ask it out on a date. Braco’s all about speed.”

Nav looked so injured that she roared with laughter.

“Get back on that Sparrow, Nightcrawler,” he said, flicking his cape dramatically. “And we’ll see who’s all about speed.”

Magpie caught Braco’s eye and grinned. She hadn't expected to win, but out of all her competitors, she was glad he had.

* * *

There was a thin covering of frost on the Plaza and Magpie savoured the light crunch of her boot, the line of powder that formed around the edge. The pink evening light made the pavement glitter like spring sunshine on waves.

She hadn’t realised it was so late. If she wasn’t racing, she’d been perched at the side of the track with Nav and Braco, hanging out with Amanda and watching as Guardian after Guardian spilled over the finish line with Sparrows in varying states of disrepair. She was exhausted, bone-cold and sore from laughing. 

And vindicated. As motivating as the Crucible might be, she felt rejuvenated from the sheer joy of simply existing with her friends, of doing things simply for the sake of doing them. The chill burn clung to her skin, and she relished it. A reminder of a time past.

She was sure Shaxx would still disagree with her, but she felt refreshed and at peace. She beamed stupidly at a passing Frame, and then promptly did a double take when she realised it was Arcite.

“Lord Shaxx requires your presence,” it said mildly. Magpie waited expectantly, but it simply looked at her as though waiting for a response.

“Where does he require my presence?” She asked once she realised no more information was forthcoming.

“In his quarters.”

Magpie felt her jaw fall open and closed it quickly, looking around to make sure nobody had noticed.

“And where are his quarters?” She said, in as casual a voice as she could manage.

“Come with me, Nightcrawler,” Arcite said cheerfully, setting off across the Tower. Magpie looked suspiciously over her shoulder, half expecting to see Gianna ready to make a crude comment, before she followed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit late for a Dawning story update, but life happens. Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> (This is also where aforementioned...spicy chapter happens.)

Arcite led Magpie though a nondescript door she had barely noticed before. A long, carpeted corridor wound its way into the body of the Tower, with hallways branching off like river tributaries.

They turned a rather abrupt left and wandered down a hall lit by flaming sconces. Magpie rolled her eyes. It was so unbelievably _Shaxx_ , right down to the heavy wooden door set into the wall at the end.

She felt rather warm all over at the sight of it.

With a strange whirring noise, Arcite dipped in what she assumed was a bow before leaving her alone. There was a low, humming sound emanating from inside the room, occasionally interspersed with a series of bangs. With a deep breath, Magpie knocked sharply on the wood.

Abruptly the banging noises stopped and she heard the now-familiar shuffle of footsteps. Shaxx was wearing his under-armour and no helmet when he opened the door, and Magpie felt a breath-stealing chill.

“Hello,” she muttered, feeling suddenly shy.

“Nightcrawler,” he said, his voice full of warmth. He moved to let her in and and she stepped over the threshold, looking past him curiously.

She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but his surroundings suited him. Deep mahogany wood and low light. A nondescript bed against one wall. The smell of gunpowder and armour polish. Everything was trimmed in black marble. A single large window stretched from floor to ceiling, and the City lights twinkled in the evening twilight.

The brightest point of the room was a workstation, set into the wall and lit by a single lamp on a metal arm. Magpie could feel Shaxx’s eyes burning into her as she wandered towards it.

Amidst piles of fine metal shavings was the most beautiful rifle she’d ever seen. There were no scuffs or battle scars, every line was sleek and sharp, and it was coated in something that made it shimmer like the inside of a seashell. Magpie would always choose her bow over a gun, but even she felt a deep pang of longing as she watched the light dance over it.

“Arcite said you wanted to see me,” she said absently, running her finger through the curls of metal on the table.

Shaxx hummed his assent. She shivered slightly as he moved to stand behind her, and hoped he hadn’t noticed.

She’d never seen him out of his armour.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Shaxx murmured. “Long zoom scope, HUD with target acquisition and proximity sensor. Full auto fire.”

“How did you get that finish?”

“An iridescent varnish. One of Banshee’s creations.”

She whistled through her teeth. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s yours,” He said softly.

Magpie whipped her head round so quickly she nearly pummeled him in the face with her braids.

“Excuse me?”

“A Dawning gift,” he said. “I noticed that you were still using the same rifle you had while I was training you. You’re not that person now. You’re so much more. You deserve a gun to match.”

Magpie blinked at him, and then looked back at the gun. She drew one finger down the cool metal.

_Hers._

“Shaxx,” she said salowly. “I can’t accept this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t get _you_ a gift,” she said in dismay. “I didn’t expect - I can’t take this and have nothing - “

Shaxx stopped her with a finger to her lips.

“You have done more for this City than you realise,” he said softly. “More for _me_ than you realise. You owe nobody. You being here is more than enough.”

He traced under her chin tenderly while he spoke, and Magpie felt her skin spark where he touched her. She was dumbstruck. _Thank you_ didn’t seem like enough.

Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

Shaxx made a noise of surprise as his hands came up to catch her waist, but it didn’t take long for his arms to wrap around her, holding her tight to him and Magpe felt as though she might melt right into the soul of the world. Without his armour his chest was warm and she could feel the muscles in his back flex as his shoulders moved. Gooseflesh prickled on her neck.

Suddenly it wasn’t enough. She wanted - _needed -_ to be closer to him.

Boldly she touched her tongue to his lips and his breath came out as a shuddering staccato when he opened his mouth. Magpie's stomach and lungs seemed to swap places as he buried his hands in her hair. Her blood sang in her veins, every single feeling replaced by swooping hot joy.

He’d _never_ kissed her like this before.

She was dimly aware of Shaxx shuffling them both backwards, and she huffed in surprise and disappointment when he pulled away briefly to look behind her. It made sense when he suddenly grasped her round the waist and hoisted her onto the desk and oh, _that_ was better; he looked at her briefly with eyes like burning coal before taking her face in his hands and kissing her until she didn’t think she’d ever breathe again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and he made a noise deep in his throat that made her feel as though her soul had left her body. 

Panting, Shaxx suddenly broke out of her embrace and let out a harsh bark of a laugh. Magpie realised with alarm that she was trembling all over like a baby bird and quickly sat on her hands to hide it.

“You’re going to kill me, Nightcrawler” he said, leaning against the wall and running a hand over his head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done – this.”

Magpie suddenly felt a pang of worry, and began to chew her lip.

“I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly, feeling suddenly vulnerable. At that, Shaxx looked up sharply.

“What on earth for?” He said.

“For - I don’t know. Nearly killing you.”

Shaxx snorted and stood up, crossing back to her in two strides and cupping her face in his enormous hands. Magpie could taste his breath on her lips as he rested his forehead on hers.

“Never apologise for that,” he whispered. “I’ve fought in countless battles and I cannot imagine a sweeter way to go than this.”

His mouth met hers again, a long, slow kiss that turned her bones into liquid. She felt a sudden desire to press her entire body against his and see what other noises she could coax out of him. It took her quite by surprise with its intensity.

When he released her, his eyes were dark and almost feral. She wondered if he felt the same way.

She knew what it was. Magpie might have grown up in the Wilds, but if the crude shouts and gestures of the other tribes when they’d spotted her hadn’t been enough, Nav and Kerryn’s discussions in the Silver about who was sneaking into whose quarters and what for had formed a pretty comprehensive education.

“I’ve never done _this_ before.” She blurted out. Shaxx nodded calmly.

“I assumed as much,” he said. Magpie felt her cheeks burn and looked at her knees. She realised she was still sitting atop his desk, and suddenly wanted nothing more than to slide off and roll underneath it, out of sight.

“Hey.”

Shaxx was suddenly gentle, lifting her chin with his fingers until she was looking at him. “If you don’t want to – “

“I do want to,” she said hurriedly “It’s just – remember that time you told me to let you know if I ever turned out to not be a natural at something?”

Shaxx chuckled. “That’s not really how it works, Magpie.”

“Isn’t it?” She said with a watery smile. “I can shoot a gun, and fight off a Taken king, and dodge a Fist of Havoc in the Crucible, but I’m out of my depth here. More out of my depth than the first time you handed me that rifle at Bannerfall.”

Shaxx leaned back on his heels and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. Magpie fought to keep her eyes above his waist.

“How much do you know?” He asked finally.

“Know?”

“About - “ He gestured vaguely at the space behind them, and Magpie went even more crimson.

“I know...enough,” she stammered. “I know how it works. But I don’t know how to be good at it.”

Shaxx looked rather taken aback, as though he hadn’t expected her to be so candid. He scratched his cheek throughfully.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” she said. _Intimately,_ she added in her head.

“Then trust me when I say that you could not possibly do anything wrong,” he said sincerely, lifting her chin with one finger. “Follow your instincts. They’ve never failed you before.”

Magpie smiled weakly and nodded.

“And I need you to trust me to stop if you’re not happy, or you’re uncomfortable, or I scare you,” he continued seriously. “You just have to say the word. It changes nothing between us.”

“But -“

 _“Nothing_ , Magpie,” he said urgently, so close she could feel his breath on her lips. “Promise me you’ll speak up.”

Magpie let out a long, shuddering breath.

“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “Okay, I promise.”

Shaxx’s eyes were coal dark, and then his mouth was on hers again and all thoughts of fear left her.

* * *

They stayed like that for a long time. Magpie had kissed Shaxx before – many, many times before – but this felt like nothing else she’d ever experienced. His arms were so tight around her she was flush against his chest, hands fisting against his back as she tried to get even closer to him. She squirmed, looking for some way to relieve the pressure. Her entire body was starting to throb.

She made a frustrated noise – was that a _moan?_ – when his mouth left hers, but when she felt his lips on her neck she decided she could live with it. Gooseflesh rose on her back and she arched against him as his hand wound its way into her hair, lifting it so he could kiss down to her collarbone. He made a throaty noise as his teeth grazed the bone, and she arched into him.

She didn’t realise he’d been fiddling with her armour until she felt one of his warm palms against her back. With a yelp she flinched and cringed. He quickly removed it.

“No, _no_ –“ 

“Magpie - “

“Please - “

“ _Magpie_ ,” he cut her off firmly this time. “You’re not ready for this. _Don’t_ argue with me – “ he said as she opened her mouth to protest. “I’ve watched you face off against the worst the Darkness has to offer and I’ve never seen you look as frightened as you do now.”

She closed her mouth, suddenly wishing she was anywhere else in the system.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have – “

“No, I’m sorry,” she said miserably.

“For what?”

She waved her hand vaguely at the space between them, looking at her knees, cheeks burning.

To her enormous surprise, Shaxx spun on his heel and gathered her up in an enormous hug. She buried her face in his chest, breathing in the faint scent of sweat and armour.

“You know you could have anyone you wanted in the Tower if you weren’t so…Titan-y.” she began, and then found that her throat was so tight she couldn’t say any more.

“And yet, here I am,” Shaxx murmured, pressing a lingering kiss against her neck. Magpie shivered and buried her face in his shoulder. Tears burned in her eyes, and she squeezed them closed until the urge passed, focusing on his hand trailing circles on her back, the rise and fall of his chest.

She didn’t realise she was yawning until her ears popped; horrified, she forced it down and prayed that Shaxx hadn’t noticed.

The shaking of his chest informed her that was wishful thinking.

“Sorry,” she said, mortified. Shaxx laughed openly then, a rich, deep sound she swore she’d never get tired of.

“Too much fun today, Nightcrawler?”

“Something like that,” she mumbled. She suddenly realised how weary she was, thighs and arms aching from manoeuvring the Sparrow. “I’ll take my leave.”

Shaxx took her hand as she hopped off the desk. Her still-loose armour rattled a little, and she cringed.

“Stay,” he said softly. Magpie blinked at him. “Nothing will happen,” he added quickly. “Just - I appreciate your company.”

Magpie snorted, even as her heart fluttered. “I’m not sure how much company I’ll be. I’d probably sleep standing up if you let me at the moment.”

“You’re here,” he said simply.

Magpie blinked up at him for a moment and then, as warm, thick emotion flooded through her, threw her arms around him again. His arms were warm around her and she clung to him, warm and safe and, dare she think it -

“Bed,” he commanded suddenly. “I can feel you falling asleep standing up, Nightcrawler.”

Reluctantly she untangled herself from his embrace and let him steer her towards the bed.

“Where will you sleep?” She asked suddenly as she awkwardly settled herself in the middle, a cold thrill of anxiety and exhilaration shooting through her at the thought of sharing with him.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said, opening a cupboard set into the wall and pulling out a thick fur blanket. “I have plenty to be getting on with.”

Magpie let her head fall onto the pillow. It smelled like him.

“'M sorry for being weird,” she said sleepily. “And a little bit stupid.”

He chuckled. “You’re – what was it Zavala called you once? – a curiosity. Not _weird_. And you’re certainly not stupid. But that’s neither here nor there when it comes to matters like these.”

“Matters like what?”

“Matters…of the flesh.”

Despite herself, she giggled. Shaxx attempted to look disapproving in response and failed. He dropped the blanket over her with a smirk.

“Sleep, Hunter,” he said, tucking it under her sides. “You’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

Magpie opened one eye. “Do I?”

“Oh yes,” he said. “Tomorrow you’re going to take that rifle into the Crucible and prove to me that you haven’t forgotten what real _fun_ is.”

Magpie grinned and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

He was truly incorrigible.

But oh, how she loved him.


End file.
